Apocalypto

Were the native people of the Americas civilized or conquered? The message that came to the native people was one of superiority and firepower more than one of the gospel. A heathen is a heathen out of ignorance, a Christian is a heathen by choice.

I guess the movie stopped before we got around to what the Europeans did to the Mayans etc. Not really my area of history but I did a unit with my youngest last year & all sides involved were bloodthirsty & savage. The only truely civilising power is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit - & I'm not so sure very many of the first Spaniards had that.

Oh, & btw, it looks like a fascinating film but not one I can take the kiddies to so I probably shan't see it.

menno said:

I guess that's what I meant by "broken vessels", that via the conquering they were made to be civilized...guess that sorta sounds like an "ends justifying the means" arguement.

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About a year ago, I had a conversation with a man who I respect quite a bit about the native Americans and the European settlers. He looked me in the eye and asked me "isn't there a point were we just have to realize that the Europeans won". It was like this idea that what happened was ok because the Christians who settled this country overpowered the indigenous people. I choke on the concept the "our founding fathers" were Christians. This is were I lean heavy toward the intolerant side. Many will try to be accepting of other peoples beliefs to the point of accepting false doctrines as an alternative approach to Christianity. Consider the idea of war. Many well intended people who claim to follow Christ are willing to kill to defend the American way of life. For me there is no gray area when it comes to this issue.

If someone is willing to resort to physical violence they are not following Christ. Let me add to this the idea that I don't think that belief alone condemns, but for those that are in a situation to act on their belief, I pray that they find repentance. The early Christians and the early Anabaptists were pretty blunt when it came to this issue, but modern Anabaptism finds it unloving to speak the truth.

So, what does this have to do with the Spanish Conquistadors? Like many who came before them, I don't believe what the Spanish brought to Latin America was Christianity. It was an oppressive religion willing to kill in order to keep people in subjection.

One final note: Does this mean Daniel believes that only Anabaptists are Christian? No, I believe that throughout history, there has been a remnant of true followers of Christ within many of the groups that didn't necessarily support his teachings as an institution.

I guess all theories about this simply shows human nature for what it really is.

In my own life, God has managed to work out my mistakes for my good in the end. For instance...Candice and I met when we were not serving God. Our relationship was anything but Godly. Later in our marriage we both began to serve God together.

I wonder if this was not the situation through much of history. Has God taken man's mistakes and made good come out of them in the end?